Tesla driver killed in fiery crash hit 90 mph, report says
ABC News
Federal investigators say a Tesla driver killed with a passenger in a fiery September crash near Miami had accelerated to 90 mph before smashing into trees
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The Tesla driver who died with a passenger in a fiery September crash near Miami accelerated to 90 mph (145 kph) in the seconds before he lost control and smashed into trees, federal investigators said in a preliminary report released Wednesday.
The National Transportation Safety Board said the 20-year-old driver accelerated his 2021 Model 3 sedan as he crossed a Coral Gables intersection to beat a yellow light on a residential street, his speed tripling the 30 mph (49 kph) limit.
The driver lost control as he cleared the intersection and veered left onto the median, where the Tesla glanced off one large tree before before smashing its passenger's side door into a second, the NTSB said. He never hit the brake, the report said, citing five seconds of data that was recovered from the car's severely damaged event data recorder.
The Sept. 13 crash damaged the Tesla's high-voltage lithium-ion battery and the car erupted into flames, killing the driver and his 19-year-old female passenger.
